Pub crawl on wheels puts £10,000 in sustainability projects pot

A TEAM of pub landlords took part in a pub crawl with a difference by cycling 200 miles to visit 15 watering holes.

Staff, suppliers and publicans from Oxfordshire-based Peach Pubs left The Fishes in North Hinksey and rode 200 miles in four days, stopping at each of the chain’s pubs, including some in Stratford-upon-Avon and Witney, finishing in Thame on Monday.

So far the team of 40 riders has raised about £10,000 for the Peach Foundation, set up in spring this year to support sustainability projects locally and around the world.

The North Aston-based pub chain has already donated more than £40,000 to projects such as healthy eating in schools.

The cycle challenge was the brainchild of Peach Pubs co-founders Hamish Stoddart and Lee Cash, who both took part.

Mr Stoddart said: “I think we’ll all be talking about it for a very long time to come, and having a laugh about either being one of the stalwarts at the back or the leaders of the pack.”

Some of the cash raised will support a conservation project in Masai Mara, Kenya.

Mr Stoddart said the foundation was “dedicated to helping small organisations in their quest to leave the world better than they found it, something we also want to do”.